Stuck post

[Blammo]

The seat post on my 1991 Yo is stuck. Should I bother with unsticking it --it just happens to be stuck at the position I like it?

How should I unstick it?

A little story for you: The tolerance for the Yo seat tube was so tight that the seat post wouldn't drop into the seattube because of the air pressure/gease seal. Thanks to Dan @ westend bikes in Houston for showing me that back in 1990.

[rick]

I would reccomend trying to get it un-stuck, as you may need to move it someday.

A chemical reaction occurs betweem the steel and aluminum, good reason to occasionally remove your post and grease lightly.
If it has been stuck for a long time, you may not be able to remove it without destroying it. I have heard of people cutting or grinding the post out. If yours is that bad, I'd just ride it.

just my 2 cents...

[Blammo]

The post is the original. With out looking at it, I can't tell you brand, but the model TCO (I believe stands for tall cool one) I think it is chromoly. Does this affect the difficulting to unstick?

thanks

[rick]

I have a TCO post on a couple of bikes and I believe that they are aluminum.

A magnet was not attracted to them.

[Doug Carter]

Something else to try before detroying the seat post, seat tube or both is heat. With two unlike metals, you may be able to get one of them to expand enough to loosen whatever is binding them together.

My favorite wrench is the propane torch, but for this application, I would try a Wagner heat gun on the seat tube. Heat it up good, and don't forget to use a good heat resistent glove (like Mechanix). Some heat and a little wrestling might get it for you.

If that didn't do it, I might try soaking the seat post opening/joint with Liquid Wrench, PB Blaster or other penetrant. Let 'er soak overnight. Wrestle to see if there is any movement, THEN try the heat again. Be careful with this one, because the oils could catch fire. There would be minimal fumes burning off, and shouldn't hurt anything at all.

Last one that would be on my list before using a hacksaw would be heat again, but this time after it is hot, I'd wipe it down with a cold, wet rag. I'm talking cloth soaked in ice water cold. We're trying to get one metal to contract/expand just enough to get them apart.

I would definitely keep a seat on it for leverage and something to grab on to.


I have worked on enough old VWs and Audis to have lot of experience with parting rusted & seized objects. Most things unstick with heat and leverage.



d

[rick]

Hey Doug, You jogged my memory and reminded me of a trick that I used many years ago to free a stuck post.
Rather than applying heat to the set tube, I applied cold to the post using one of those medical ice packs. There are two chemicals inside, when you break the pack, they combine and get really cold.
I had to work at it, but the post came out.

Good luck, whatever trick that you try.

rick

[younggeoff]

Hello , I had the ringle moby post stick in my 94 Yo, I took the seat and clamp off, sprayed plus-gas release oil down the post and turned the frame upside to let the release oil work it's way up the side of the post. after about 15 minutes I used a compothane mallet to hit the seat post into the seat tube and it eventually moved. Then as a previous reply suggested I put the clamp and seat back on and used the extra leverage provided by the seat to remove the post. Once out I dried and cleaned the seat tube, then did the same with the seat post. This may work for you depends how far in and how long the posts been in.